Army's Aimee Oertner proving coach's instincts were right

Northern Lehigh grad named Patriot League rookie of the week three times so far this season

Army's Aimee Ortner (33) has been named Patriot League rookie of the… (APRIL BARTHOLOMEW, THE…)

January 29, 2013|Tom Housenick

Army coach Dave Magarity was as nervous about starting Aimee Oertner as she was as she was about to begin her college career in early November.

Magarity eased the Northern Lehigh graduate into her first game by bringing her off the bench.

The 6-foot-2 freshman rewarded him with 18 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots in 30 minutes of Army's win.

Mystery is at the heart of the Slatington resident's nervous trigger, so she's been anxious plenty of times in her first several months at West Point.

"I came in completely blind," Oertner admitted. "I didn't have any military background. I was new to everything."

However, none of that has affected Oertner, who is doing well so far academically, athletically and as a plebe at Army.

Oertner is averaging 7.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots per game as a freshman. She has started 18 of her first 20 games this season entering this week, which includes a trip to Bethlehem on Saturday for a Patriot League game at Lehigh. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

It will be her second local appearance as a Black Knight. The forward/center had 11 points, five rebounds and one block in Army's win Jan. 16 at Lafayette.

Oertner, who has six double-doubles so far this season and is tied for eighth nationally in blocked shots, said she couldn't have expected a better start to college life.

"I've been playing basketball since second grade," she said. "I'm just doing what I've done my entire life.

"Basic training was really different. Looking back at some of the things I had to do, I'm proud of myself."

Oertner never had a gun in her hand until she came to West Point, but surprised herself with how well she's done.

Academically, she remains a hard worker, something she established while at Northern Lehigh.

"I took SATs six times to get the best possible score," she recalled. "When it came down to the last few schools, [Army] gave me the most opportunities for life coming out of school. That's why I stayed on top of things."

Magarity also did his homework on Oertner when she was in high school. He saw a strong skill set, a hard worker and good size.

But he admitted he was worried about the talent level she was playing against and her ability to adapt to the college game.

In the end, however, he trusted his eyes and instincts.

"She was a roll of the dice," admitted Magarity, who spent three decades coaching men's basketball before spending the last seven in charge at Army. "She wasn't exactly recruited by a lot of people.

"I just saw something in her that I felt was worth recruiting."

Oertner earned a starting spot in preseason camp, then backed it up by averaging 13.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in her first six college games.

There have been rough spots since, including a scoreless performance in a 12-minute stint of a loss Dec. 7 at Rider.

But Oertner has shown perseverance and dedication. She has fought through some adversity and been a significant contributor to the Black Knights, who are 15-5 overall and tied for first in the Patriot League at 4-1 entering tonight's home game against Holy Cross.

"There are games where she's struggled early, the Morgan State game is a great example," Magarity said. "I put her in at the end of the game and she blocked four straight shots down the stretch.

"We don't win the game without her changing the end."

Oertner finished her "bad" game against Morgan State with 10 points, nine rebounds and six blocks.

"She knows I'm not going to bury her on the bench when I take her out," Magarity said. "Quite honestly, she's far exceeded where I thought she'd be right now."

The freshman forward/center has been named Patriot League rookie of the week three times this season, but Magarity is confident her best is yet to come. He expects her to develop physically, much like former Parkland High and Army standout Erin Anthony did in college.

The Black Knights coach knows he has another hard worker on his hands.

"She has a tendency to fade away from pressure sometimes or physicality," he said. "That comes with experience. She's going to get better. She has a terrific upside and is a very coachable kid."